Hydrocarbon oil conversion



Feb. 19, 1935. J. G. ALTI-1ER HYDROCARBON OIL CONVERSION Filed NOV. 4, 1929 Till.

A@ Nh m n M@ l objectionable quantities of pitchy or finely divided `,carbonaceous material are -crackedby ordipurpose of the invention is two-fold-rst tov obf' as aju'el or for reconversion andto remove or tion under conditions more suitable than those i 'This blending may be done either inthe r`eac partially in eitherstate and'may'bea final or in'-' and consequently the production of light prod Patented Feb. 19,1935 y n1,991,440

UNITED-sur i 41,991,444.) l 'f mnoomoiv'on. coNvEnsloN: Joseph G. Alther, Chicago, lll., assignor to Universa! il- Products Company, ChicagIll., a l corporation of South Dakota I Application November 4, 1929, sei-mms, 14,629l 'f --1 v'naim.` (c1. isc-4s j y This invention'relates tothe art of treating hydrocarbon oils and is'particularly directed to the conversion of relatively high boiling oils into low boiling` products of va more valuable nature.

When heavy `oils vwhich contain or produce upon substantial conversion a product containing in cross section wherein'the process of tion may be practiced.

l Oil is fed from supply tank 1, through valve 2, pump 3, line 4, valve 5, prheating coil 6, valve Y.'Z and line 8, into dephlegmator 20. Aportion or all of this charging stock may pass through valve 9 and line 10 directly into fractionating tower 23., That portion of the preheated charging stock not vaporized in dephlegmator 20, may pass, together withthe reflux from the bottom of dephlegma- 1,10 tor 20, through line 11 and pump 12finto the heatin g element 13. Heating element 13 is located ih l' any suitable furnace 14 and the oil passing therefrom having been heated to the ,desired outlet temperature may pass into reaction chamber 17, 15 l through valve 15 and line 16. Vaporsfrom reaction chamber 17 may pass through valve 18 and line 19 into ther bottom of dephleg'mator 20' where, after being cooled and fractionated, the portion thereof still uncondensed at the top .of 20 the dephlegmator may pass through line 21 and lve 22 intothe fractionating tower 2 3. In this econdary factionating tower the `vapors are rfur- 1 ther fractionated and cooled and the iinal light products ,from the system emerge fas vapor y25 through line 25 and valve 24, pass through condenser 26 where they are condensed and cooled, i thence through line 27 and valve 2 8rinto receiver .29. From receiver 29, the uncondensed .gases may be drawn olf through valve 30, inline 31, and 30 the pressure on -thereceiver controlledthereby. Liquid may be withdrawn from the receiver to storage or elsewhere through line 33 controlled e by valve- 32. Required connectionsfor feeding t fractory intermediate vor nal products either back this final liquid product to the top of frac, `36 from the mst or the secod cracking reictions' tionatingtower 23 or todephlegmator 20 are Well.A and t0 COOLf necessaryj and ltel resulting yknown to the art and are not shown in the draw.. 'Y blendedresidual material andfnally rto again ing This may be done however, t0 assist C001- x mend the filtered residual product with an inter ing and fractionation in either tower. VLLiq'uidy mediatgpldut imn Vithin 1535 ssttm'dnlhish from the bottom of reaction chamber I'Lmay be4 10 Wayareslua prouo may oae wie' maybemarketable as a fuel or may 1le suitable' gugx g'slec, lg agrgggrz for reconversion in thesameor another process. my be reduced' through valve .34 so that sh chamber. 36 may be maintained at va substantially lower presslre than that in reaction chamber 17 and the latent heatf'rom-the oil which passes into the flash chamber 36 mayf thus be utilized for its vaporization. Vapors froml the ash chamber emerge Athroughvalv'e 37 and pass through line 38 50 into the bottom pf the fractionating l tovwer 23. complished simultaneously, ea`ch augmenting Liquid which collects in the bottom of fractionand assisting the other. f `ating tower 23 is drawn oi throughline39A and @In the drawing forming a part hereof'there is rf may be pumped wholly, or in part,`by means of -narymeana maximum conversion is restricted ucts such as those suitable for motor fuel is penalizedif the resulting residual oil is to Ibe of such nature that it will meet specifications for a good quality commercial fuel.

The present invention provides for a substantial production of the more valuable light products and at the same time permits the production of lmarketable fuel asa residual product. Ihe

tain the maximum' desirable conversion of the -oil ,undergoing treatment therebyy obtaining a/ high yield 'of the most valuable products from `the cracking reaction; and, second, to retard and lminimize the formation of those components in the residual oil which are detrimental to its use change the character of such components which may be formed. Both objects in part may be accomplished by the-reconversion'ofvarious inter'- mediate products from `the first cracking reac maintained in the'flrst cracking zone. The second\object may befurther fuli'llled by blending with the residual products some of the more retion chamber or in the -iash chamber and the blending material may be either relatively hot or cold, may be in .fa vaporized or 'a liquid state lor termediate product of the process,

- In the process which constitutes my invention both of the above mentioned purposes may be ac- 5 shown in side `elevation an apparatus partially pump 41 through valve 40, valve 42 inline 43 56 2 and into line 8 from which it may pass into dephlegmator 2,0.

.A portion of the vapors from the top of dephlegmator 20 may be drawn from line 21 through line 44 and valve 45 into the header 46. In the same manner a portion of thev vapors from the tion of the liquid product from receiver 29 may-A be withdrawn through line 54 and valve 55 and pass into the lheader 46. Any or all combinations ofl these products entering the header 46 may be picked up bypump 57 and pass through line 5.6, valves 63 and 66, into 'reaction chamber 17, or by partially or totally closing valve 66 and partially or totally opening valve 66', a portion -V or all of these products may pass through line 56', through line 35 and into the flash chamber 36. Similarly valve 64 may be partially or totally opened and valves 66 and 66 partially or totally closed so that all or any portion of the material from line 56 may pass through valve 64 and line 65 directly into flash chamber 36. It may be 'or certain combinations of the prloducts which desired to further convert certain of the products may enter the header 46. In this case valve 58 is opened, valve 63 is closed and the vdesired products pass `through the heating element 59 which 'is located in a suitable furnace 60. The desired amount of conversion of these. products from header 46 may be controlled by the conditions maintained within the heating element 59 and the temperature in furnace 60.' When it is desired to simply add heat to the products fr om header 46, this may be accomplished by maintaining a lower temperature in furnace 60. The heated or reconverted products, as the case may be, emerge from the heating element 59 and may pass through line 61 and valve 62,'back into line 56- from line 56 the heated or reconverted products may pass into reaction chamber 17 or into flash chamber 36 or both in any or all of the manners previously described.

Liquid from the bottom of flash chamber 36 which may have been previously blended with any of the products above mentioned, either in reaction chamber 17 or `in the line 35 between'reaction chamber 17 and iash chamber 36, directly in ash chamber 36 or in all or any combination of these, may be withdrawn through line 67, valve 68, pump 69, valves 70 and 76, through lter 71, line 78 and valve 79, to storage or elsewhere.

In case sufhcient pressure is maintained on 'the flash chamber 36,pump 69 may be unnecessary and if so, may. be by-passed by opening valve 72 in line 67 and closing valves 68 and 70. It is often desired to'partially cool certain typesof residual oils before they are filtered as partial cooling may render the carbon, pitchy and asphaltic material in the residual oil less soluble and ltration may thereby be facilitated. When cooling is desired it may be Ydone to any desired degree by closing valve 76, opening valve 73 and passing the residual oil through cooler 74 and valve 75 back into line 67. Filter 71 may be of any suitable typesuch as will retain the carbon, pitchy and asphaltic material suspended in the blended material and permit the passage of the relatively clean residual liquid. 'I'he filter 71, for example, maycontain a bed of absorbent material such'as fullers earth, bone black or the like, or may employ a filtering medium such as cotton duck, Monel metal clothv ving a relatively clean residual product may be produced having a viscosity which may be regulated over a wide range. vWhen it is desired to produce an oil of relatively low viscosity this method permits filtering before the degree of dilution is such as to render the carbon, pitchy 0r asphaltic materials dicult to lter out and provides for nal blending tothe desired viscosity after filtration.

'I'he residual product from the process may, if desired, be re-processedy in the same apparatus and to doxthis, all or a portion of the residual product may pass from line 78, through valve 80,

pump 81, line 77 and valve 78" in line 79' into.'

tank lwhere it may mix with the charging stock or it may pass in whole or in part through line 77 and valve 78' directly into line 4 where it may also mix with the charging stock.

The following is given as an example of the operation of my process.

Operating on a charging stock of 26 A. P. I. mixed base topped crude oil the combined feed from the bottom of dephlegmator 20 was fed to the heating element 13 under a pressure of approximately 350 pounds per squareA inch and the outlet temperature of heating element 13 was maintained at approximately 910 F. vReaction chamber 17 was held at a pressure' of approximately 225 pounds per square inch and at a temperature of approximately 865 F. Dephlegmator 20 was also maintained at a pressure of about 225 pounds per square inch and a top temperature of about 575 F. Vapors entering the secondary fractionating tower 23 were reduced through valve 22 to approximately 50 pounds per square inchy and the outlet` temperature at the top of this tower.was about 400 F. All of the bottoms from the secondary fractionating tower 23 were re-processed through heating element 59 under a pressure of approximately 500 pounds per square inch and an outlet temperature of approximately 980 F. ,The reconverted bottoms from the secondary fractionating tower 23 were introduced into the residual oil in the bottom of re action chamber 17 through line 56. Residual oil from reaction chamber 17 entered the flash cham.

withdrawn from flash chamber 36 after ltering. and blending had a gravity of 11 A. P. I., a viscosity of 84 seconds at 122 F., SayboltFurol and showed a B. S. content (material insoluble in benzol) of approximately 0.8%. Before ltering this residuum contained about 2.5% B. S.

From the foregoing it will be seen that underv oil is subjected to pressure distillation in a pressure distillation zone, the vapors and unvaporized residue separately removed from the pressure distillation zone, the vapors subjected to fractionation and the unvaporized oil to further distillation by itsv contained heat in a zone of lower pressure than the pressure prevailing in the pressure distillation zone, the improvement which comprises subjecting reflux condensate formed in the fractionation to drastic cracking temperature and pressure conditions and then introducing portions of said reflux condensate to said pressure distillation zone and said .zone of lower pressure, and uniting and subjectingtoI common condensation vapors released from said zone of lower pressure and vapors taken off from the zone of pressure distillation.

2. A hydrocarbon oil cracking process which comprises passing the oil through a heating zone and .heating the same therein to cracking temperatureunder pressure, discharging the heated oil into a vapor separating zone and separating the same therein under pressure into vapors and unvaporized oil, removing the vapors for dephlegmation and condensation, separately removing the unvaporized oil and passing the same to a flashing zone maintained under lower pressure than said separating zone, partially distilling the unvaporized oil under the lower pressure in said flashing zone thereby forming additional vapors and residual oil, dephlegmating said additional vapors to condense heavier fractions thereof, heating the condensed heavier fractions. to cracking temperature in an independent heating zone, and introducing separate portions of the thusheated fractions directly into said separating zone and 'to said dashing zone.

3. A hydrocarbon oil cracking process which comprises passing the oil through a heating zone and heating the same therein to cracking temperature under pressure, discharging the heated voil into a vapor separating zone and separating the same therein under pressure into vapors and unvaporized oil, removing the vapors, separately removing the unvaporized oil and passing the same to a flashing zone maintained under lower pressureV than said separating zone, partially disltilling the unvaporized oil under the lower pressure in said flashing zone thereby forming additional vapors and residual oil, fractlonating the vapors removed from the separating zone and said additional vapors to` condense a portion `,thereof, heating resultant reflux condensate to cracking temperature in a second heatingzone land then introducing portions thereof into said separating zone and to said flashing zone.

4. A hydrocarbon oil cracking process which' comprises heating the charging oil to cracking temperature under pressure-,while flowing in a restricted stream through 'a heating zone, discharging the heated oil into an enlarged reaction zone maintained under cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, separately removing vapors and unvaporized oil from the reaction zone, subjecting the vapors to primary dephlegm'ation and returning resultant reflux condensate to the heating zone, ash distilling the unvaporized oil in a flashing zone maintained under lower pressure than the reaction zone, combining the flashed vapors with the vapors uncondensed by the primary dephlegmation and dephlegmating the resultant mixture thereby forming additional reflux condensate, heating the latter to higher cracking temperature than the.

charging oil in a second heating zone and then introducing separate portions thereof into the reaction zone and the flashing zone, and finally condensing the vapors uncondensed by the lastmentioned dephlegmating step.

5. A hydrocarbon oil cracking process whichv comprises heating the charging oil to cracking temperature under pressure while flowing in a restricted stream through a heating zone, discharging the heated oil into an enlarged reaction zone maintained under cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, separately removing vapors and unvaporized oil from the reaction zone,

subjecting the vapors to primary dephlegmationand returning resultant reux condensate to the heating zone, flash distilling the unvaporized oil in a dashing zone maintained under lower pressure than the reaction zone, combining the flashed vapors with the vapors uncondensed by the primary dephlegmation and dephlegmating the resultant mixture thereby forming additional reflux condensate, heating the latter to higher cracking temperature than the charging oil in a second heating zone and then introducing at least a portion thereof to the flashing zone, and finally condensing the vapors uncondensed by the lastmentioned dephlegmating step.

6. In a hydrocarbon oilv cracking process, the steps which comprise heating the oil to cracking temperature in a heating vzone and separating the same into vapors and unvaporized oil, subjecting the vapors to dephlegmation in a dephlegmating zone and thence to fractionation in a fractionating zone, ash distilling the unvaporized oil by pressure reduction in a ashing zone, introducing the flashed vapors to said fractionating zone to commingle with the cracked vapors being fractionated therein, removing reflux i condensate from the fractionating zone and heating the same in a second heating zone to higher cracking temperature than is maintained on the mst-mentioned heating zone, introducing resultant cracked products from said second heating zone into the flashing zone, and returning reflux condensate from said dephlegmating zone to the first-mentioned heating zone.

7. A cracking process which comprises subjecting hydrocarbon oil to cracking condition of teml perature and pressure and separating the same into vapors and unvaporized oil, dephlegmating the vapors and returning resultant reflux to the. cracking step, liia'sh distilling theunvaporized oil by pressure reduction and fractionatiig resultant flashed vapors in admixture with the vapors uncondensed by said dephlegmation, cracking reflux condensate formed in this fractionating step at vhigher temperature than the first-mentioned oil and contacting resultant vapors with the ,unvaporized oil undergoing flash distillation to assist the distillation thereof, and finally condensing the fractionated vapors.

' JOSEPH G. ALTHER 

